Stamina Training
by Jellyfur
Summary: After the match against Kaidoh and Inui, Gakuto and Hiyoshi work on the weakness that cost them their victory.


Characters: Hiyoshi Wakashi and Mukahi Gakuto

Prompt: None

Title: Stamina Training

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A huff, a puff, and a loud sigh were pretty much the only sounds Gakuto could make. His legs groaned, his arms felt like dead weights uselessly sewn to his shoulders, and his feet ached, begging to stop, and it was hard enough to keep going, let alone staying on his toes instead of just senselessly banging the pavement, but he somehow managed it. Hiyoshi, besides him, seemed to be having a better time dealing with the stamina training than he was, managing to keep his usual passive face, even if his bangs looked rather sweaty and there was a bead of sweat making its steady way down the side of his face. Their next training match with Seigaku was coming up again, and this time, they wouldn't, couldn't bear the humiliating defeat they had been dealt by Inui and Kaidoh, a creepy data freak and his pet snake. Sakaki and Hiyoshi, though, had (in Gakuto's opinion) misconstrued that to mean "Hiyoshi and Mukahi should run for as far as they can without one or both collapsing." While that distance was admittedly getting longer (they were on mile five right now, and when they had started this past week, Gakuto had gotten faint at mile 4), it hadn't gotten any easier. His lungs still burned with every breathe after the first half mile and with Hiyoshi, their pace didn't slow down until at least the third mile, and even that was barely perceptible.

Gakuto sorely missed the fun days after practice, when he'd go with Jiroh to the new sweets shop, or Shishido to the arcade. Now, it was just running around the track with Hiyoshi. His stupid junior didn't even properly worship him like a kouhai should. Oh, sure he was all proper and stuff, with his "Mukuhi-san," and his normal obedience, but he was downright snarky and never like the comparatively sweet Otori (Gakuto wasn't even sure how they were friends. Hiyoshi looked friendly as a rock. A rock with sharp edges). He wouldn't lower his eyes in deference or offer to carry his books (and Gakuto's books were heavy!), instead just smirking and maybe tossing a muttered "Gekokujyou" in his wake. He'd walk away from Gakuto without a second thought, and that frustrated Gakuto to no end.

As they looped around the track again (five and three fourths of a mile now), Gakuto felt his knees buckle and started to fall forward before Hiyoshi managed to catch his arm and slow the descent enough for Gakuto to regain part of his balance, but none of his dignity. Gakuto shakily made his way over to the grass on the side and collapsed down on it, slowly regaining his breathe, Hiyoshi following.

"Well," Gakuto finally spoke, "stamina training for today is over, right?"

Hiyoshi gave a short, decisive nod.

"Good," Gakuto replied, satisfied. "You're buying me an ice cream, then, Hiyo-piyo."

"And why am I doing that, senpai?" Hiyoshi drawled.

Gakuto huffed. Cheeky bastard. "You almost let me fall. Good doubles partners don't let their partners fall." Obviously. Yuushi would have never let him fall. Heck, If he were still playing with Yuushi, he wouldn't even have to be running! Yuushi would always cover him when he was tired. Incompetent Piyoshi, on the other hand...

"Ah," Hiyoshi didn't say anything else, and Gakuto took that as acknowledgement that of course his poor, abused doubles partner deserved the best sundae money could buy.

Gakuto heaved himself up with with a bit of difficulty. After that much running, he probably should have stretched, because now he was sore. He held out his hand for Hiyoshi to pull himself up with, pushing away the slight tingles that fluttered around stomach as the clearly very fit Hiyoshi took his hand. Now that he was looking at him properly, Gakuto could see the clear definition of his arms and back through the sweaty shirt (ew, but the view was pretty worth it). Enbu and tennis were clearly going well for the boy.

As they headed for the locker rooms to shower and change, Gakuto had to consciously look away from Hiyoshi to keep from staring. Instead, he tried to focus on ice cream and how delicious it would be. Maybe he could get a strawberry cone with chocolate syrup. Yum. (Just like Hiyos-Nonononono he's just an annoying doubles partner, completely good for nothing but ice cream. Ice cream is good, think of the sweet, cold tingles instead of the hot, funny ones from Hiyoshi).

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A/N: Well, hi! It's been a while since I've come on here, but I'm going to try to post new stories every so often. I wrote this a couple months ago, but I'm posting it now. There may be a sequel to come.


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